The government of Trinidad & Tobago is placing all government services online as part of its new ICT program designed to make the country more competitive and less vulnerable to economic hardships.
The aim of the government is to allow citizens to access government services from the comfort of their homes. The new ICT plan also includes rolling out telecom cables across the country.
According to an article published by Loop, a Caribbean news portal, Trinidad & Tobago wants to transition from “transactional e-Government to transformational e-Government”.
“One of the key initiatives under the National ICT Plan is the development of an integrated suite of government services,” said Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie.
At the center of its e-governance program is Single Electronic Window, a secure business portal that simplifies foreign trade and business processes by providing around-the-clock access to relevant government services.
Last year, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) lent $25 million to help Trinidad further improve its trade facilitation processes.
Trinidad’s increased focus on technology is caused by the decreasing demand for oil and gas in the international market. Analysts say the government is doing everything it can diversify away from energy into information and communications technology.
IDB says the ICT program can help the country enhance quality of life, improve service delivery, increase national competitiveness, and create new opportunities for citizens and businesses.
As recently as last week, state-controlled telecoms operator TSTT launched 4G/LTE services for the first time in the country. Reports say the operator is hoping to widen the network to cover 85% of the country’s geographic area over the next few months.
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